Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle for conveying persons, more particularly to a rail-borne vehicle or bus, and to a portable orientation aid for passengers of the vehicle, especially for visually impaired and blind persons.
Description of Related Art
Devices which make it easier for blind and visually impaired persons to find their way around in everyday life have long been in use. Examples include tactile markings on paths, and traffic lights and vehicles equipped with acoustic emitters.
The publication CH 697 266 B1 describes an electronic device for providing help on streets, in public spaces and on public transport for users such as blind and visually impaired persons. This device comprises a portable user device with input means for a user to enter information, acoustic and/or tactile output means for issuing information to the user, and radio transmission means on the user side for sending and receiving radio signals. The electronic device also comprises several object devices, which are suitable for installing on an object in a vicinity of the user, each having a storage means for storing information, and an object-associated radio transmission means connected to the storage means for bidirectional radio communication with the user-associated radio transmission means.
The publication FR 2971353 A1 describes a sound amplification device for localising an access door of a public transport vehicle with the aid of a radio wave transmitter. The sound amplification device has a CPU and is connected to an on-board device of the vehicle in order to receive information about the movement status of the vehicle and the opening status of an entrance door of the vehicle. The CPU sends commands to a loudspeaker wherein the commands depend on receiving or not receiving radio waves of a predefined type with radio wave receiver of the sound amplification device and on the information received by the on-board-device.
The publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,238 A describes a device which assists those who are visually impaired or handicapped and, in particular, a system for warning blind or visually impaired travelers that they have entered a potentially dangerous area proximal to an edge of boarding platforms of the type typically found in railway and other types of transit systems. An Infrared Integrated Indicating System (IRIIS) includes an array of optical emitters and a portable detector/warning device to be held by a visually handicapped traveler. The emitters create a beam of light which bathes a section of the platform proximal to the platform edge. As the visually handicapped traveler moves into a region of the platform covered by the beam of light, a first indicator, such as sensors in the warning device, is activated and by audio, tactile or other stimuli, alert the visually handicapped traveler of entry into a hazard zone. A second indicator provides additional confirmation to the visually handicapped traveler that doors are open as he or she prepares to board.
The publication FR2945635 A1 describes a positioning system for persons in a building with a plurality of transponders at fixed positions and a portable device for persons, which by way of the calculated position of a user issues acoustic signals for guiding the user.
In addition, orientation or assistance systems are widely used for supporting motor vehicle drivers, and also in the field of leisure, e.g. during jogging.
The publication DE 20 2004 021 078 U1 thus describes a device also suitable for older, visually impaired or blind users for the integrated control and use of information systems and/or entertainment systems with a portable part unit having an acoustic output device, a first transmitter and/or receiver device, a power supply device and a control device. The device can also be used as a portable navigation system with speech output when hiking or cross-country skiing. As the user of the device is provided with the information acoustically, his/her attention is not impaired by reading optical displays.
The publication DE 10 2005 032 528 A1 describes so-called manoeuvring assistance systems, more particularly navigation systems and parking assistance systems, and a method of delivering assisting information signals to a user, wherein the assisting information signals are delivered to the user as haptic information signals by means of a haptic information system that can be connected to the manoeuvring assistance.
A drawback of all the solutions known to date is that although they provide blind and visually impaired persons with general orientation help, the finding of a door of a waiting vehicle by blind or visually impaired persons is, however, only inadequately supported.
The device described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,238 A warns a blind or visually impaired passenger of hazardous areas and informs him/her that he/she is standing in front of open doors of a vehicle. However, the passenger must find his/her own way to an open door. Without other assistance, this can be very difficult and correspondingly time-consuming for a blind or visually impaired person.